Gucci Stakes 2015 Betting Odds & Tips

The first of three Group-status races on the Crown Oaks Day line-up at Flemington Racecourse on Thursday is the 2015 Gucci Stakes, betting tips and the latest odds for the fillies’ sprint feature detailed below.

Lake Geneva is the Races.com.au tip to win the 2015 Gucci Stakes at Flemington’s Crown Oaks Day on Thursday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Due to jump as Flemington Race 4 at 2:00pm (AEST), this year’s $200,000 Group 3 Gucci Stakes (1100m) originally drew a final field of 19 hopefuls.

Two early scratchings leaves 17 in the mix with Take Pride (16) and Vegas Beauty (11) officially withdrawn from the line-up.

Leading the latest Gucci Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au, who are offering an Extra 50% on your very first Fixed Odds win bet if it is successful in Races 1 – 4 at Flemington on Thursday, at $5 is Secret Agenda.

Drawn well in barrier four she has top hoop Damien Oliver back in the saddle, Mick Price’s daughter of Not A Single Doubt having her first look at the famous Flemington straight.

She’s in good form however coming off back-to-back seconds over 1200m in Group 3 company, the latest being on October 10 in Caulfield’s Thoroughbred Club Stakes.

There are four other single figure fancies including $7 second elect Riapinka who has a very wide draw (18 into 16) to overcome.

The bookies are taking no chances with the progressive Kris Lees-trained Bel Esprit filly who Hugh Bowman jumps aboard for her maiden black-type start on the back of her big three length Wyong win over the distance on October 17.

Riapinka carried 58kg to victory that day and is set to appreciate the drop back to 55kg this week.

Three fillies are then all rated a $9 chance with early market mover Ottoman for John O’Shea who hasn’t raced since a seventh in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) in Sydney on September 19, James Cummings’ Tempt Me Not who is stepping up in class for her Melbourne debut and the Team Hawkes-trained last start Warwick Farm winner Zara Bay.

So will one of the single figure Gucci Stakes hopes take it out for the punters or is there an upset result on the cards from the likes of the longer-priced Hawkes’ runner Lake Geneva ($10) or stablemate Minetti ($14) having just her fourth career start?

Hawkes Racing line-up three and smack in the middle betting-wise is this former top juvenile who is back in form and hard to bet against. European hoop Ryan Moore jumps aboard from barrier 13 (into 12), so she’ll need a bit of luck from the gate but has class. Was a dual Group 1 third placegetter as a two-year-old in the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond in the autumn and comes off a good Moonee Valley black-type win over 1200m. If she can repeat that feat she can salute at double figures here.

Deserving favourite who is drawn to win in barrier four with Oliver in the saddle. She hasn’t finished worse than second in her three runs this time in including back-to-back Group 3 seconds in Melbourne leading up to this Oaks Day assignment. She doesn’t know how to run a bad race and was luckless last time out, so with a better run off the speed she could have more than enough late to fly home.

Over the odds is this David Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained daughter of Exceed And Excel who comes off a smart 1000m win at Moonee Valley from October 23. She is up in class for this and has two unplaced runs down the Flemington straight, but if she can repeat her best form and get the right run from barrier five with Craig Williams aboard she could surprise at a nice price to finish in the money.

Get in on the Crown Oaks Day betting action on Thursday at Ladbrokes and take advantage of their exclusive Best Tote or SP + 20% markets open on all nine Flemington races across the card!